Vehicle collides with dump truck on U.S. 70
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 6, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
A Toyota Yaris that collided head-on with a dump truck Thursday on U.S. 70 East near the intersection of Lake Wackena Road sits in the median as crews work to clean up debris in both east- and west-bound lanes.
No one was killed Thursday afternoon when a head-on collision involving a dump truck and a passenger car stopped traffic on U.S. Highway 70 East near Lake Wackena Road.
Only the driver of the car was transported to the hospital.
N.C. State Highway Patrol Trooper J.S. Smith said the driver's injuries were non-life-threatening.
The wreck took place at 2:12 p.m. in front of the Village Green specialty shops restaurants.
Matthew Martin, 24, of Zebulon was driving the Bunn Holland Inc. dump truck east on U.S. 70 when he lost consciousness, crossed the median into oncoming traffic and hit the car head-on, Smith said.
"I think he just fell asleep," Smith said.
The driver of the car, Richard Huntsman, 52, of Kinston, suffered a broken arm but was not seriously injured.
"Had there been a passenger in the car, we'd have had a whole different situation out here," Smith said at the scene.
Traffic was held to one lane in each direction while El Roy volunteer firefighters and Wayne County EMS workers tended to both drivers.
Traffic was then suspended in both directions for about 20 minutes as the wrecker moved in to pull away the dump truck, Smith said.
Both lanes were flowing when Smith left the scene of the wreck to check on Martin at Wayne Memorial Hospital.